Hillary Clinton and the race card

Did she, or did she not, play the "race card?"

That's the question being hashed over in much of political Washington concerning comments Hillary Clinton made to USA Today in making her case for soldiering on in her bid to draw to an inside straight and overtake Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race.

Here's the passage swirling the discussion:

" 'I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,' she said in an interview with USA Today. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article 'that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states (those voting in Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries) who had not completed college were supporting me.' "

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.

Her defenders scoffed at the notion that she was sowing divisiveness, saying she was merely stating the obvious and that she resisted any mention of the almost monolithic support from blacks that has been central to Obama's successes.

Clinton herself, the article says later, "rejected any idea ...

... that her emphasis on white voters could be interpreted as racially divisive. 'These are the people you have to win if you're a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election. Everybody knows that.' ''

Detractors argued that she was taking an obvious step to casting herself as the "white" candidate.

Longtime Democratic operative Bob Shrum, who led John Kerry's unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, said that party leaders -- including convention superdelegates -- fear that Clinton may be adopting a strategy that unnecessarily fuels antagonisms within party ranks.

The result, he added, could be a political environment "in which Democrats lose the unlosable election."

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[robinia]

Whether or not she played the race card, it is very sad to end her journey like this. I mean it was a fierce battle as I've ever seen a campaign to be. May both candidates be congratulated for their patience and longevity during the battle.

Mrs. Clinton, if you weren't such a conniving, two-faced bitch, with a husband to match, perhaps people would have stuck by you! Goodbye-girl!

Mr. Obama, a hearty congratulations. However, if you don't watch it, your wife could be the black version of Hillary. Maybe you've been crowned as the better choice simply because people haven't gotten to know your wife yet. Welcome to the lion's den.

wow, can't wait for the battle for November.

Tootles!

[Tallahassee]

If the Dems lose this election in November, it's because they nominated Obama as our candidate. To call the Clintons and their supporters racists, only spurs our resolve to sit out this election if Obama is the nominee. You political pundits and Obama supporters are idiots.

[mona]

When was pointing out the obvious divisive? Obama is getting all the black vote by 80 - 90% margin and Hillary is getting more of the white vote than Obama. Hillary why don't you just call them all blue voters.....and we can all just be smurfs? For the Obama voters, smurfs is a cartoon back in the 80's. LOL Whatevers.....everyone I am sure especially the Obama camp and their media lovers will pull the race card, when really she has not stated something that everyone doesn't already know and recognize.

PRESIDENT HILLARY 08

[N.E. BodybutHillary]

Hey any of you republicans want a slightly used presidential candidate? she claims to have high miles, but she just doesn't get anywhere. She claims to be the answer to your economic woes, but she has greater economic woes than you. She claims to be able to keep you healthy and fit, but she suffers from sleep deprivation and delusions.
She admires the rules recognized by your party, but she has trouble abiding by rules in general. She is a nasty little scrapper, but she seems to enjoy biting the hand feeding her.
The fact is we just have no place for her, maybe you have a pasture or something she could retire to.

[Kate]

Hillary's true colors: apparently democratic voters really don't care about universal health care, nor about getting out of Iraq, nor about maintaining the Constitution. No, she feels the ONLY important thing is her color. This is pandering to one group of voters (the least educated and informed ones) and slighting another (hard working people of color) This is the final straw. Howard Dean, beware. The party may split over this, or it will lose a massive number of voters for many years to come.

[Larry]

Wow! Hmmmmmmm.

What can really be at the root of this destructive Clinton campaign?

Is she really trying to ruin it with whites for Obama in an effort to sabotage his campaign? If not Hillary, then McCain?

Today I read that a major Democratic fundraiser is threatening Nancy Pelosi with going over to McCain if Pelosi doesn't manage the rest of this campaign to Hillary's benefit.

Is this really about what is good for Israel?

Is there any other lobby group/interest that is so ruthless and uncompromising as AIPAC?

[Deanna from New Mexico]

It makes me very sad to think our country still is not ready to nominate and vote for a black man. I, for the first time, understand our forefather's attitude toward the proletariat. The un-educated just don't get it. The only possibility to change Washington is with Obama. He can't do it alone, he needs us, the American People.

[samantha]

Look, the racial voting divide did not become pronounced until the Clinton's "played the race card" the first time in South Carolina (that is, through former President Clinton). Also remember that Obama's rise began in Iowa, a very hegemonically white state.

[Christopher Xaphakdy]

As Sen. Clinton has articulated her case as being a stronger candidate, why hasn't she been able to prove the mathematical numbers as Sen. Obama has factually earned. I think what the voters are convincingly looking for are the objective factual numbers, not the subjective arguments.

Cheer Sen. Obama 08

[otto portmann]

people actually believe these people... that astounds me

[Mc Pain]

Her comments are no different than Mc Pain calling Obama a black radical...lol....What is funny to me is how everyone put so much emphasis on if Obama wins, he will lose because he can't get the white blue collar voters, nobody even mentioned how the blacks hate the Clintons now. It would be just as impossible for Hillary to win without the black votes...

When will the media hurry and break the story of the prostitute that was just murdered (not a suicide), and how she was going to incriminate Mc Cain as one of her clients...? Let's blow the lid off this thing....oh we're waiting for September..okay good timing

[Josh N.]

She's being attacked for the same reason rev. Wright was being attacked: SHE'S TELLING THE TRUTH.

Let's faceit, Obama's biggest problem is he has a problem connecting to stupid people and poor people. Sorry but "uneducated voter" is just a nice way of saying moron who cant think critically and has to work at a steelmill because he's too stupid to get a real job and blames all his problems on affirmative action and immigrants.

Obama, because of his race and bitter old people will have a problem in the general. Intelligent people will only get you so far. You have to get the votes of stupid people (poor whites) and airhead women (security moms & soccer moms)

Obama is facing an uphill battle. I support him but I'm also realistic. Hillary did nothing but speak the truth. I think they'll have a hard time without each other on the ticket.

[Rich]

Ever since Hillary said on 60 Minutes "not that I know" when asked if she thought Obama was a Muslim, I have wanted to vomit every time I see her. Women voters must realize that if Hillary were elected President she would poison the Presidency against women for a thousand years. She is a lying, conniving, politician of the old school who needs to do at least one honorable thing this campaign season: Quit.

[observer]

What a stupid article!

I'm no big fan of Mrs. Clinton, but when any candidate simply repeats what every commentator on TV is saying, how can she be racist and they're not? She is not attacking anyone's race, she's simply saying that any successful Democratic presidential candidate MUST will white working class votes. She happens to be right, as Senator Obama will find out in North Carolina in November...and many other states.

[KS2 Problema]

There's certainly nothing new here.

Clinton, her team, and particularly her husband, the former president, have been playing a racial triangulation strategy since they realized their "inevitability" had evaporated.

The only thing I find surprising is that it's candidate Clinton, herself, making the explicit racial exclusion strategy -- and that so far there has been no firestorm over her appositive juxtaposition: "hard-working Americans, white Americans."

The world-weary and jaded among us might still be surprised that Clinton's racist pandering would become so blatant and yet draw so little comment.

[Troy]

The Clintons have defecated on whatever goodwill they engendered among a good portion of the electorate who supported them in the previous decade.

How embarrassing to see her campaign repeatedly resort to racism and religious bigotry to pull more votes and delegates her way. Also, what a sore loser to drag this thing on for longer than what it needs to. Anyone with a superior understanding of American politics and the electoral process knows that Obama essentially wrapped up the nomination at the end of February.

No amount of spin can undo what further damage she's done to her already polarizing image. For the love of Christ, let it go Hillary.

[vote4thebest]

Why do people get accused 'racists' when they are speaking the truth? why is it that it is ok for 91% of the Blacks to vote for an AA and these Blacks are not called racists? If it is ok for the blacks, then it should also be ok for 91% of non-black to vote for the non-black candidate. Even his campaign's manager has used the term 'white vote' before, yet it is not ok for Clinton to use? Let’s play by the same rule and Obama and his supporters should stop the double talk.
Obama’s win in NC proves beyond any doubt that he is a racially-based candidate. He can’t win the general election with just the blacks and the young. It would be another ‘Tsongas’ election! Clinton’s win in Indiana, by a slim margin, also raises the big question why Obama lost a state that he is supposed to win!
The media continues to be anti-Clinton. Her win should be presented in the proper context of the quality of each of these candidates’ electability!

[Rob MacKay]

Of course Hillary is the "white" candidate and Obama is the "black" candidate. The question is who can cross those lines. Obama is doing a pretty good job of it. Hillary doesn't stand a chance. I used to really like Hillary. But now? For goodness sake my fellow Democrats, stick a fork in Hillary. She is done.

[Marilyn]

The Clintons have done more for the black community over the past years than anyone else. It is very obvious that Obama is where he is today because of the black voters (not a racist comment but a fact). In my opinion, the so-called race card was played by the Obama camp very early on - everytime Bill opened his mouth it was considered racist. In this way, the black population was able to justify dumping Hillary without seeming to support Obama simply because he is black. I am a lifelong Democrat who will not vote for Obama because of those behind the scenes tactics and, no, I won't vote for McCain either.

[Dean]

The reasons these comments are racist is because she very smoothly and implicitly states that African Americans aren't hard working!!

" 'Clinton cited an Associated Press article 'that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states (those voting in Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries) who had not completed college were supporting me.' "

SO AFRICAN AMERICANS AREN'T HARDWORKING???

[Philippa]

GObama! he prevailed despite the dirt flung at him over the past 2 mths.If Clinton could not put him away with all the negative press he got over the past 2 months,i don't know what else will.
Time for her to concede already!

[haybarn]

It's not that everyone is a racist. It's that we have had the label-based "factual" analysis drilled into our vocabulary day after day. Examples?:

- we are told over and over what % of the black vote one candidate gets, but never hear what % of the white vote another gets.
- the only blue collar workers ever mentioned are the white ones, as if black blue collar workers don't exist, aren't news or don't count.
- there is a presumption or implication that university-educated people are white, as are young university students.

The delivery of this selective vocabulary but mind-biasing data is not based on deep-seated hatred of any group, but it does feed the culture of how we think and talk as a nation. The media pushes this "news" into everyone's brain cells without even stopping to think about how it keeps "racism" alive.

[chet mccabe]

How much nastier can the campaign get. Only Hillary can stop it by doing the RIGHT thing now and gracefully exit. She has created a mistrust, cheap image which is appropriate for she and Bill, who has dragged her down to this level. Let's get on with rebuilding ther Democrat profile

[J Marshall]

yes, obama is getting the black vote, but the black vote alone would not nearly be enough for obama to win all of the primaries that he has one. do the math

[chris]

It's really sad that a Wellsley and Yale graduate who has worked so much for positive causes in this country wants to be President so bad that she would pander to the lowest character trits in voters and somehow wear it as a badge of honor that her support comes from uneducated, poor white thrash.